Method and system for determining weight and position of a vehicle seat occupant

Abstract

A method and system for determining weight and/or position of a vehicle seat occupant to be used for controlling the reaction of a safety restraint system. A plurality of spaced weight sensors are disposed between a seating surface and seat mounting surface to provide output signals indicative of an applied weight on each sensor. The sensors are spaced such that the sensors measure the weight applied to a seat back and the seating surface. A controller calculates the weight and/or position of the seat occupant in response to the output signals of the sensors. The controller sends the weight and position of the seat occupant to the safety restraint system to be used to tailor or suppress the reaction of the safety restraint system.

1. A method of compensating for various influences on a sensor signal that provides an indication of a weight of a seat occupant in a vehicle supplemental restraint system, comprising the steps of:
 processing the sensor signal using analog signal processing to compensate for at least one factor that influences the sensor signal; and 
 processing the sensor signal using digital signal processing to compensate for at least one other factor. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the factors include temperature and signal strength. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 2 , including compensating for temperature using the analog signal processing. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor signal comprises a signal from a strain gage. 
   
   
     5. A vehicle weight classification system, comprising:
 a plurality of sensors that provide an electrical signal indicative of the weight of a seat occupant; 
 a controller associated with the sensors that utilizes an analog signal to compensate for at least one factor that influences the sensor signal and that utilizes a digital signal to compensate for at least one other factor that influences the sensor signal and wherein the controller controls a supplemental restraint device. 
 
   
   
     6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the analog signal compensates for a temperature influence on the sensor signal. 
   
   
     7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the digital signal compensates for signal strength. 
   
   
     8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the sensors comprise a strain gage.